


Can't Swim, Please Drown

by OceanaFallen



Series: Run, Run, Run [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: I tried quoting Veggies Tales but it was too long :/, M/M, Pirates, Sequel to "Can't Run Can't Hide", Ship name: Buttercup, Will add additional tags later, Will contain s3 spoilers upon airing, picks up immediately after the events of CRCH, probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 08:18:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11642589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OceanaFallen/pseuds/OceanaFallen
Summary: After being thrown out an airlock and abandoned to suffocate, Lance is captured by pirates hoping to sell him for his knowledge on Lotor.Keith is being experimented on with quintessence, and struggling to keep his human side alive and his Galra side down. It gets harder and harder as his memories slip.Lotor is preparing for a full invasion of the remain parts of the Galaxy, and with the assistance of his generals, it seems feasible.What will Voltron do without two Paladins now?





	Can't Swim, Please Drown

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys so much for continuing on with the series! Please do remember to leave a comment, they'll help me write a shmidge bit faster!
> 
> This will contain spoilers for season 3 starting next chapter, however this chapter is spoiler free. Please be aware, and finish the show before reading this.

__Space isn't as bad as people might think. Yeah, it’s cold, and no one can hear you scream, but at least it gives you time to reflect on your thoughts.

Like the fact he probably shouldn't have fucked Lotor.

Lance buried his face in his hands, groaning at the thought. He really fucked up this time. He really did.

But was it really his fault? He was drugged with something or other, which made him crave everything about Lotor. His presence, his very touch sent him on a high.

Voltron was powerless without Shiro, and even worse off with both Shiro and himself missing. Now, despite having Shiro back, he was missing.

And he wasn't sure if Keith made it out.

Oh crap, Keith. Last he saw was Keith crying and trying to crack the glass of the airlock with his bare hands. Being held back by the sentries.

The suit left him paralyzed for a few Vargas as the airlock opened. He was just staring, watching nothing as the time passed.

Was it already an Earthen hour? There wasn't a clock in his helmet or anything, just a warning of how much oxygen he had left.

It wasn't much.

They left him behind forever ago, as they traveled from the colosseum to a small pod and teleduved their way elsewhere. It was painful watching them.

The Lions left a while ago, too. Only the soldiers would have survived the accidental vacuum they created, and sadly he was dressed as one.

Space sure is one mean roomba.

Lance giggled at that thought, looking down at the oxygen left. He’s practically suffocating.

He doesn't have much longer.

But he might as well go peacefully.

Spitting out his gag, he stretched his mouth a bit before giving a heavy sigh.

He tried not to think of his family, of his lost loved ones as he floated. But it was getting harder and harder.

He closed his eyes and screamed into his helmet. Not that anyone could hear him. Space is the one true place you can scream to your heart’s content.

“Mama, I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye…” he whispered, shaking with grief. Not his own, but the fact he’ll never see them again.

Dammit, he even returned to Earth for a bit! Not that the US military would relay the message to his family.

Can you even imagine? “Hello ma’am, we found your son in a pod with another missing person, and were picked up by a giant red lion then proceeded to return to outer space. My deepest regrets.”

He looked around a bit at the fellow floating dead men walking. Wasn't there more before?

He looked up, and a ship’s tractor beam flew purple above him.

The ship, unlike the Galra’s, didn't have the purple accents everywhere. It was a plain, rusted, space ship.

The fact it was rusted suggested that it was docked more often than out here, or at least docked on a more watery planet. But he didn't get enough time to look at it before he was pulled in.

When the tractor beam came to an end, he was three feet above the floor of a ship. Several other bodies were there as well, a few trying to grab things to fight with, but the majority limp. He didn't want to think about the limp ones.

The tractor beam turned off, and everyone and everything fell to the floor. Lance groaned, shaking as he got to his knees and hands.

A gun was pointed at him, and he was commanded to put his hands behind his head. He slowly did so, careful not to startle anyone.

He looked around with his eyes, careful not to move his head, and saw at least three others doing the same. No one else was getting up.

He wanted to scream and cuss at Lotor. How could he do this, to his own men even? No civilian survivals, only four soldiers. He didn't want to think about it but it was too late.

Was this to be known as a massacre caused by Lotor? Or even spinned to be the fault of Voltron? Not that it mattered if he didn't make it out alive.

“Name and rank!” Commanded one of his captors, aiming at one of the living to his left.

“Zeback, Private First Class.”

The captor lowered his weapon slightly, so if he shot it wouldn't be lethal. He gestured for two others to grab him, dragging him away from the others.

Suddenly the gun was on him, staring him down the nose. As a sharpshooter, he was used to looking down it from the other end.

“Lance McClain, Cadet.”

“Liar,” the captor hissed, getting ready to fire.

“Take off my helmet, please! I'm not a Galra!”

“Then why do you have an Earthen name?”

The helmet wasn't the best of helmets. Probably designed so the Galra shoulders follow orders more so than think. All he saw was shapes, no colors, and nothing to distinguish others. He only knew who was soldiers because a purple shape was placed where they were.

“Just remove my helmet, please!”

The one with the gun gestured for another to do as Lance said. His helmet was removed, and up he stared at another human.

Beard already growing, eyes narrowing at the sight of another from his planet. He held his gun all the tighter, refusing to budge.

“Why are you wearing the Galran uniform?”

“Kind of a long story…” Lance began, sighing. “I was Lotor’s pet for a while, and he pushed me out of the airlock in rage after another attempted escape.”

The human side eyed another from his group, an Unilu staring at a device in two of his four arms. He held up a thumb, and the human lowered his gun.

“Well then, welcome to the Buttercup, Lance. From the sounds of it, you might be valuable to a few considering your knowledge on Lotor… we’ll see how well you work the ship. Put him with the other.”

With his hands still behind his head, two cuffs were suddenly snapped on, and another, a Galra this time, hooked their arms under Lance’s and lifted him up, leading him down unknown corridors.

“So the uh… the Buttercup, huh? What do ya’ll do on this thing?”

The Galra remained silent, instead opting to just throw him into a cage with the other Galra soldier. His helmet was removed and sitting at his feet, as he stared at the floor riddled with slime.

“You idiot,” Zeback whispered. “The Buttercup is the ship owned by the Dread Pirate, Roberts.”

It took everything in Lance not to burst into laughter. Oh god, the Dread Pirate Roberts? Was this other human looking for the six fingered man who killed his father, you sonofabitch.

Maybe he’ll find out why a human was the captain of a pirate ship, under the name from the Princess Bride. If he doesn't get sold off before then.


End file.
